Means for supporting apparatus on the head



Oct. 22, 1957 2,810,385

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING APPARATUS 'ON THE HEAD Filed Nov. '7. 1952 w. B. REED 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WE$LEY 5- REED ATTORNEV 1957 w. B. REED 2,

MEANSVFOR SUPPORTING APPARATUS ON THE HEAD Filed Nov. 7. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WESLEY i5. REED ATTORNEY Oct. 22, 1957 w, REED 2,810,385

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING APPARATUS ON THE HEAD Filed Nov. 7. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR WESLEY B. REED ATTORN Y United States Patent MEANS FOR SUPPORTING APPARATUS ON THE HEAD Wesley B. Reed, North Woodstock, Conn., assignor to American Optical Company, Southbridgc, Mesa, a voiuntary association of Massachusetts Application November 7, 1952, Serial No. 319,395

6 Claims. (Cl. 128-141) This invention relates to improvements in means for supporting utility apparatus in position of use on the head of an individual and particularly to an adjustable harness for supporting earphones and oxygen mask in positions of use to be worn by an individual such as an aviator.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide improved means for supporting utility apparatus such as earphones and oxygen mask in position of use on the head of an individual.

Another object is to provide a head harness embodying a plurality of straps which are adapted to be extended around portions of the head of the wearer, said straps having one end fixedly secured at one end to respective hearing devices which are adapted to be positioned over the ears, the free ends of said straps being connected together by adjustable means permitting the harness to be fitted to the size and shape of the individuals head.

Another object is to provide a device of the above character wherein said hearing device is provided with means for attachment thereto of one end of connecting members which support an oxygen mask in position of use, said connecting members being in the form of adjustable straps whereby the oxygen mask will be retained in desired position when the hearing devices are located in position of use.

Another object is to provide a harness of the above character wherein there are provided a plurality of straps extending from the respective hearing devices in a direction toward the opposed hearing device and connected together by improved means embodying a slotted bucklelike member, and a separate strap extending from a point adjacent the upper central portion of the forehead rearwardly along the top of the head and downwardly to a point adjacent the base of the cranium, said separate strap being connected to said buckle-like members whereby the straps will be retained in desired relative adjusted positions.

Another object is to provide supporting means for retaining utility apparatus such as earphones and oxygen mask in positions of use on the head of an individual, said supporting means being so constructed and arranged as to permit a head-enclosing helmet to be worn there-' over.

Another object is to provide supporting means of the above character for retaining utility apparatus such as earphones and oxygen mask in desired position of use on the head of a wearer, said supporting means being constructed and arranged so as to support said utility apparatus with comfort to the wearer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying the preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view illustrating a helmet .of the respective earphones 20 and 20a.

2,81%,385 Patented 0st. 22, 1957 in wearing position over a harness embodying the invention;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views illustrating the two types of attachment members used in the harness;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 77 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 88 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views generally similar to Fig. 8 illustrating modifications thereof in the means for connecting goggles to the helmet;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the lower front portion of a helmet of the preferred yp Fig. 12 is a reduced fragmentary sectional view generally similar to Fig. 11 illustrating a modification thereof;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged exploded view illustrating the method of securing the rims of goggles;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 1414 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 15 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 15-15 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 16 is an enlarged sectional view taken longitudinally through the foremost harness attachment; and

Fig. 17 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 1717 of Fig. l.

The prior art teaches the use of various means for supporting oxygen masks in position of use such as through the employment of elastic straps or relatively non-elastic flexible members which are secured as by buckles or laces.

The present invention improves upon such supporting means through the provision of an adjustable harness comprising straps which are fixedly secured to hearing devices adapted to be positioned over the ears of an individual, said straps being adjustable by novel means permitting the device to be fitted to the head of the wearer, and said heating devices embodying means for attachment thereto of adjustable straps for supporting an oxygen mask in position of use on the face of the wearer. With an arrangement of this type, both the hearing devices and the oxygen mask are supported by the harness which is adjustable to permit the hearing devices to be located in desired relation with the ears of the wearer as well as are the straps for attaching the oxygen mask to the hearing devices whereby the oxygen mask may also be positioned as desired and held in prelocated relation with the hearing devices.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, the invention in its preferred form comprises a headset adapted to be worn on the head of an individual, the headset embodying a pair of earphones 20 and 29a which are adapted to be supported over the respective ears of the wearer and are positioned within the central openings of annular supporting members 21 and 21a respectively. The supporting members 21 and 21a are formed of rubber, fiber, plastic or other resilient material and are each cemented, stitched, stapled or otherwise attached to a relatively inflexible fiat ring 22 and 22a (Figs. 1, 2 and 17). The supporting members 21 and 21a are provided with annular trough-like portions 23 and 23a respectively which are filled with a padding 24 (Fig. 17), the amount of padding24 used being sufficient to space the outer surface of the respective troughlike portion 23 outwardly of the plane of the outer surface Thus, there is formed a protective ring encircling the earphone. Annu lar pads or doughnuts 25 are secured as by stitching to the inner side of the relatively inflexible flat rings 22 and 22a and are adapted to be positioned against the side of the wearers head in encircling relation with the ears.

The earphones 20 and 29:: are thus located in overlying 5 spaced relation with the Wearers ears and the wires 4 leading therefrom are free to hangdown by the neck of the wearer.

To support the earphones in position of use, there is provided a harness which comprises a plurality of pairs of supporting straps, preferably three in number, each individual strap being adapted to extend from a respective headset over the wearers head toward the opposed strap of the respective pair which is attached to the opposed headset. Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2,

the fiat ring 22 which is attached to the annular supporting member 21 is provided witha strap 26 which is adapted to extend upwardly over the upper portion of the forehead of the wearer toward a similarly extending strap 26a which is attached to the opposed flat ring 22a. 29

Likewise, straps 27 and 27a are connected to the respectiveflat rings 22-22a and are adapted to extend over the top of the wearers head. Extending around the base of the cranium are straps 28 and 28a which are secured by means of tabs 21a to the opposed fiat ring 25 22a, the tabs 21a being formed of leather or other exceptionally durable material and being relatively wide to provide a greater area for attachment to the outer surface of the annular supporting members 2121a. This has been found to be desirable since the straps 28-28a during use are generally subjected to the most strain. Straps 27.27a and 28-28a are adapted to be adjustably connected together by means of a fastener 29 (Fig. 6) which comprises a flat rectangular member formed in accordance with the foregoing description can be easily and efficiently adjusted to fit the size and shape of the head of the individual whereby the earphones 20 and 26a may be properly and comfortably located and supported in position of use. Strap and buckle arrangements, such as described, further have been found to more efficiently retain their adjusted relative positions and consequently will more efficiently retain the apparatus in desired position on the wearers head.

The invention further embodies means and method of adjustably securing an oxygen mask to the headset and retaining it in position of use. The lower front portion of the annular supporting members 21 and 21a are each provided with flexible tabs 42 which carry a plurality of fasteners 43 thereon. An oxygen mask 44 which is shaped to be mounted over the nose and mouth of the individual is provided with a pair of spaced buckles 47 to which one end of respective straps 45 are adjustably connected. A second pair of straps 45a are connected to a second pair of buckles 47a which are secured to the face portion 46 in the lower regions thereof. The straps 45 and 45a are connected together adjacent their free ends as indicated at 48 in Fig. 1 and are provided with fasteners 49 which are adapted to be removably attached to the fasteners 43. To provide the desired adjustablity, the straps 45 can be shortened or lengthened by their adjustments in the fasteners 47, further adjustability being provided through the provision of the plurality of fasteners 43 whereby the straps 45 can be connected with the selected fasteners 43 tolocate the oxygen mask in desired position of use. It

' is apparent that an oxygen mask 44 will preferably be of metal or similar relatively rigid material having therein a pair of elongated slots 30 and 31 which extend longitudinally of the fastener 29. The selected strap 27 or 27a is attached to the fastener 29 by inserting it through slot 30 from beneath the fastener 29, threading it over the space 32 between the slots and then threading it down- Wardly through slot 31, following which the second strap 27 or 27a is threaded in the reverse direction and directly upon the upper surface of the first-connected strap. Thus, the ends of either strap 27-27a may be grasped by the wearer and by tugging may be adjusted to comfortably engage the Wearers head, the edges of the slots serving to frictionally engage and retain the straps in adjusted position. The straps 28 and 23a are similarly adjustably connected together,

. Asingle strap 33 is adapted to extend along the wearer's head from front to'rear and is also connected to the fasteners 29. The strap 33 is threaded lengthwise of the fasteners 29 over the upper surface thereof beneath the horizontally extending straps as indicated by the arrows Each fastener 29 is proof the wearer are adjustably connected together by a fastener 35 which is generally similar to the fasteners 29 and is provided with longitudinal slots 36 and 37 through which the straps 26 and 26a are threaded. The fastener 35, however, is not provided with the upwardly turned ends but instead is provided with a pair of transversely 6 extending slots 38 and 39, one of which is located at each end of the fastener 35, the slots 38 and 39 extending substantially parallel with the adjacent end of the fastener. Thus, the strap 33 can be stitched, bound or otherwise 7 connected as indicated at 40 (Fig. 16) to the slot 38, ex-

tending therefrom beneath the fastener 35 tothe opposed end thereof and connected by stitching or other suitable means 41 to the opposed slot 39. Thus, the fastener 35 is securely connected to one end of the strap 33.

Itis apparent that a harness constructed and arranged formed of resilient material such as rubber or the like since it must automatically shape itself to conform to the shape of the face of the wearer and thus assume an air-tight shieldv therewith. It is also evident that in mounting a mask 44 in position of use and adjusting it by control of the straps 45 and 45a, the resilient mask will consequently be subject to strain. Therefore, in order to retain the shape of the outer portion of the face portion 46 of the mask 44, the face portion 46 is provided with a pair of outwardly extending tongues 46:: which are adapted to be positioned within comating openings in a relatively rigid reinforcing member 45b, which reinforcing member is initially shaped to substantially the shape of the adjacent surface of the face portion 46. A

strap 460 is extended over the outer surface of the reinforcing member 461; transversely thereof and is threaded through slots provided therefor in the tongues 460:, the ends of the straps being securely attached to the buckles 47. Thus, the outer portion of the oxygen mask 44 will retain substantially its initial shape during the mounting and adjusting of the mask to the face of the wearer.

The oxygen mask is provided with the conventional hose 48 through which incoming air passes to the respiratory organs of the wearer and with an exhalation valve 65 through which exhaled air passes to the exterior.

The mask 44 may also be provided with a microphone therein (not shown) in which case the necessary wires 43a leading thereto will extend through anopening provided therefor in the face portion 46 and will be per mitted to depend downwardly over the front of the mask 44.

It will be apparent that in the. construction hereinabove described, there are no protrusions which will pre vent a head-enclosing helmet from being easily and quickly mounted in position of use over the entire head panels 53 and 53a which are attached to the side edges of the panel 51 and which are adapted to cover the temples, ears and adjacent portions of the wearers head, and an elastic panel 54 which is adapted to extend beneath the chin of the wearer and having its forward edges attached to the side edges of the panel 52 and further having portions adapted to be superimposed over the sides of the wearers chin, lower checks and sides of the neck, the panel 54 being attached at its upper edges to the respective panels 53 and 53a as well as to a portion of the lower edge of panel 51. One end of a pair of elongated elastic panels 55 and 55a are attached in side-by-side relation to the upper edge of panel 51, extending rearwardly and downwardly therefrom, and are attached at their sides to the respective upper and rear edges of the panels 53 and 53a, thus being adapted to extend along the top and back of a wearers head. The panels 55 and 55a extend downwardly along the back of the wearers neck and are attached to the respective ends of the elastic panel 54 and to the adjacent upper edge of an elastic neckband 56 which is also attached to the lower edge of the panel 54 whereby it may snugly encircle the neck of the wearer.

The non-elastic panels are preferably formed of knitted nylon which, like all knitted fabric, is easily deformable and capable of slight stretching. However, the so-called elastic panels are preferably formed of a material which may be stretched and deformed from its initial shape and size to a relatively great extent in comparison with the non-elastic material, which elastic material may be rubber or a combination of knitted nylon and latex, for example. The neckband 56 may be formed with a still greater degree of elasticity, if desired.

The elongated panels 55 and 55a have their adjacent edges hemmed as shown best at 57 in Fig. 7, and have attached to the hems 57, as by stitching or the like 58, a conventional zipper fastener 59. The zipper fastener 59 is comprised of the conventional pair of fabric strips 68 having their adjacent edges provided with closure tabs which are adapted to be joined by a slidable closure member 61. A liner strip 62 (Fig. 7) is connected at one side to one of the hems 57 and is adapted to overlie the wearers head beneath the zipper thereby preventing the wearers hair from becoming entangled.

The oxygen mask 44 is adapted to be positioned in the lower front of the helmet and carried therein beneath the nonelastic panel 52 and adjacent portions of the elastic panel 54. The lower edges of the panels 52 and 54 are i so constructed that an opening 63 is provided through which the inlet valve portion 64 of the mask 44 extends as well as does the outlet or exhalation valve 65 (Fig. 4). edges of the opening 63 are preferably reinforced by a strip 66 of reinforcing material such as a strong fabric, leather, plastic or the like which is doubled over along its edge (Fig. 11) and stitched, cemented or otherwise permanently secured to the edges of said panels. Additional supporting means for the oxygen mask 44 is provided by a narrow strip 67 of the reinforcing material, which strip 67 is attached at its ends to the reinforcing strip 66 on opposed sides of the opening 63, the strip 67 being adapted to extend beneath the oxygen mask 44 between the inlet valve portion 64 and outlet valve 65 to further aid in supporting the mask comfortably and securely in position of use.

With a construction of this type, it is apparent that an oxygen mask will preferably be located in the helmet prior to placing the helmet on the head. After placing the oxygen mask in the helmet, the straps 45 are attached to the headset and the device is then adjusted to the wearers head. Then the helmet is pulled upwardly and rearwardly over the face and head of the wearer and then fastened in place by the zipper 59.

It is to be understood, however, that the helmet may be made in other ways such as by connecting the opening 63 with the neck opening 68 in the neckband 56 by means of a zipper fastener 69 as illustrated in Fig. 12. In such a case, the zipper 59 may, if desired, be eliminated. With such a construction, the oxygen mask and headset may be properly installed in position of use after which the helmet can be pulled downwardly over the head of the wearer and the zipper fastener 69 operated to close the helmet beneath the chin of the wearer. In this example, the supporting strip 67 is provided at one end with one portion of a snap fastener 68 whereby it can be connected to its counterpart carried by the panel 54, after mounting the helmet in position of use, to aid in supporting the oxygen mask.

It is apparent that goggles or similar eye protective devices may be attached to the helmet by various methods. One method is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 8 wherein the goggles 70 comprise a frame 71 formed of rubber or other similar resilient material shaped to fit over the eyes of the wearer and having a pair of spaced eyeencircling portions 72 which are connected by a bridge portion 72a. The frame 71 is positioned over eye openings'73 formed in the panel 51 of the helmet and is provided with outwardly extending portions 74 which overlie the panel 51 around the eye openings 73. The outwardly extending portions 74 are securely attached to the panel 51 by means of stitching 75, cementing, or by any other suitable method. The frame 71 is provided with annular flanges 76 which outline the eye openings of the goggles, to the inner sides of which are connected annular stiffeners 77 formed of relatively rigid material such as plastic, metal or the like, which stiffeners 77 are securely attached to the flanges 76 by means such as stitches, staples, rivets or the like 78.

Mounted over the ends of the annular flanges 76 are respective lenses 79. Rim members 80 are 'shaped to encircle and receive the edges of the lenses 79 and are provided with portions 81 which extend rearwardly into overlying relation with the flanges 76 and stilfeners 77 secured thereto. The rim members 80 completely encircle the respective lenses 79 and are split in the temporal regions as at 82 (Figs. 4 and 13). Each end of the rim member 80 at the split 82 is provided with an outwardly extending tongue or lug 83. When securing a lens 79 in position, the lens 79 is mounted in the rim member 80 and the split 82 closed by bringing the tongues 83 together. This causes the rim member 80 to assume a. tight fitted relation with the contour edge of the lens 79. A hollow slidable locking member 84 is then mounted over the tongues 83 and a clip 85 is inserted through aligned openings 86 adjacent the ends of the tongues 83 to prevent withdrawal of the locking member'84, thus retaining the parts in desired assembled relation. The clips 85 are carried by the ends of a headband 86 which is adapted to extend around the head of the wearer externally of the helmet.

With such a construction, to change a lens it is merely necessary to remove a clip 85, withdraw the locking member 84 and allow the ends of the rim member 80 to separate through the inherent resiliency of the material thereof. After a lens has been replaced, the parts of the device may be easily reassembled as described.

In Fig. 10, there is shown a modification of the goggle supporting means wherein the frame 87 is positioned within the panel 51, and the panel 51 is provided with outwardly extending portions 88 which encircle the eye openings and which are also secured to the stiffener 77 by the securing means 78. In such a case, the rearwardly extending portions 81 of the rim members 80 will overlie the portions 88 of the panel 51.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9, the goggle is a removable unit constructed generally similar to the arrangement shown in Fig. 8 with the exception that the frame 71 is not provided with portions which are secured directly to the panel 51. Thus the goggles may be easily and quickly removed at any time. 7 I

The oxygen mask 44 hereinbefore referred to may be of any conventional type suitable for wear, for example,

in the higher altitudes by aviators. Such an oxygen mask is provided with conventional inhalation and exhalation valve means which have been indicatedgenerally by numerals 49a'nd 64 in the drawing. Although the helmet 50 has been described as embodying a plurality of.

'elastic and non-elastic panels, it is to be understood that other forms of helmets may be adapted to be worn over the harness of the present-invention. Also the goggle construction, it is to be understood, can be further modified in any one of several ways if desired.

It will be apparent that the means for adjustably supporting earphones and oxygen mask in desired positions of use as described is a distinct'improvement over prior 'known methods for accomplishing this purpose and from the foregoing description it will beapparent also that all of the objects and'advantages of the invention have been accomplished. While the novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, itis to beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions and'changes in the construction and arrangement thereof may be made by those skilled in 'the'art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore; it is to be understood that all matter shown or described is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense;

Iclaim: 7 I l. A head harness for supporting a pair of earphones and an oxygen mask in proper position on the head of an individual, said harness including a pair of annular members to be positioned about the individuals ears and by means of which earphones are located over the wearers ears, means by which an oxygen mask may be attached to said members and adjusted to properly fit with the individuals face without disturbing the seat and position of the members about the individuals ears, spaced pairs of straps which extend across the upper front, top and base of the individuals head,each strap of said pairs being fixedly secured to a respective annular member and having a free end adjustably secured to the free end of the other strap of the pair by means of a relatively flat fastener having a pair of spaced substantially parallel elongated slots therein, the free end of the straps of each pair being oppositely threaded through the spaced slots of the fastener so that portions thereof between the spaced slots lie in superimposed relation, and a further strap which is used to join said fasteners so as to locate them in a desired spaced relation, said further strap having portions threaded between the superimposed portions of the other pairs of straps and the adjacent surfaces of their connecting fasteners so as to permit adjustment of the spacing of the fasteners to obtain a comfortable fit of the harness on the head, and said fasteners having projection portions extending outwardly of one side thereof to frictionally engage a side surface of said further strap to aid in retaining said further strap in its adjustable connection with the respective fasteners.

2. A head harness for supporting a pair of earphones and an oxygen mask in proper position on the head of an individual, said harness including a pair of annular members to be positioned about the individuals ears and with in the center of which earphones are located, plus means by which an oxygen mask may be attached to said an nular members and adjusted to properly fit with the individuals face without disturbing the seat and position of the annular members about the individuals ears, spaced pairs of straps which extend across the upper front, top

and base of the individuals head, each strap of said pairs being fixedly secured to a respective annular member and having a free end adjustably secured to the free end of the other strap of the pair by means of a relatively flat fastener having a pair of spaced substantially parallel elongated slots therein, the free end of the straps of each pair being oppositely threaded through the spaced slots of the fastener so that portions thereof between the spaced slots lie in superimposed relation, and a further strap which is used to join said fasteners so as to locate them in a desired spaced relation, being fixedly connected to the fastener used in connecting one of said pairs of straps and threaded between the superimposed portions of the other pairs of straps and the adjacent surfaces of their connecting fasteners so as to permit adjustment of the spacing of the fasteners to obtain a comfortable fit of the harness on the head, and said fasteners other than the one to which said further strap is fixedly connected having turned end portions extending outwardly of one side thereof to frictionally engage a side surface of said further strap to aid in retaining said further strap in its adjusted connection with the respective fasteners.

3. A head harness for supporting a pair of earphones and an oxygen mask in proper position with the head of an individual, said harness including a pair of annular members to be positioned about the individuals ears and within the center of which earphones are located, strap members which extend around the forward and under portion of an oxygen mask, means by which the length of said strap members may be altered and means by which the ends of said strap members may be detachably attached to said annular members at selective locations to permit the most comfortable assembly of the mask with the individuals face without disturbing the seat and position of the annular members about the individuals ears, spaced pairs of straps which extend across the upper front, top and base of the individuals head, each strap of said pairs being secured to a respective annular member and having a free end adjustably secured to the free end of the other strap of the pair by means of a relatively flat fastener having a pair of spaced substantially parallel elongated slots therein, the free end of the straps of each pair being oppositely threaded through the spaced slots of the fastener so that portions thereof between the spaced slots lie in superimposed relation, and a further strap which is used to join said fasteners so as to locate them in a desired spaced relation, said further strap being fixedly connected to the fastener used in connecting one of said pairs of straps and threaded between the superimposed portions of the other pairs of straps and the adjacent surfaces of their connecting fasteners so as to permit adjustment of the spacing of the fasteners to obtain a comfortable fit of the harness on the head, and said fasteners other than the one to which said further strap is fixedly connected having turned end portions extending outwardly of one side thereof to frictionally engage a side surface of said further strap to aid in retaining said further strap in its adjusted connection with the respective fasteners.

4. A harness by which an oxygen mask having forward and under portions is located in position of use on a wearers face, said harness comprising supporting strap means which extend over the wearers head and having portions on opposed sides of the wearer's head in the region of his ears, and a pair of straps for connection with said portions and to respectively extend around the forward and under portions of the oxygen mask, said oxygen mask having slotted tongues on the front thereof, a relatively rigid member seated on and shaped to the outer surface of the front portion of the oxygen mask and having openings therein through which said slotted tongues extend, one of the straps being extended through said slotted tongues and by means of which the rigid member may be removably fixed on the oxygen mask, means by which the length of said pair of straps may be altered, and means by which the ends of said straps may be detachably connected to said portions of the supporting means on the opposed sides of the wearers head at selective locations to permit the most comfortable assembly of the mask on the wearers face.

5. A harness by which an oxygen mask having a forward portion, an under portion and a face-engaging edge portion is located in position of use on a wearers face, said harness comprising supporting strap means which extend over the wearers head and having portions on opposed sides of the wearers head in the region of his ears, a pair of straps for connection with said portions and to respectively extend around the forward and under portions of the oxygen mask, said oxygen mask having slotted tongues on the front thereof, a relatively rigid member seated on and shaped to the outer surface of the forward portion of the oxygen mask and having openings therein through which said slotted tongues extend, one of the straps being extended through said slotted tongues in overlying relation with said rigid member to attach the same to said mask, means by which the length of said pair of straps may be altered, and means by which the ends of said straps may be detachably connected to said portions of the supporting means on the opposed sides of the wearers head to permit assembly of the mask on the wearers face.

6. A harness by which an oxygen mask having a forward and under portion is located in position of use over a wearers face, said harness comprising supporting strap means which extend about the upper and rear portions of the wearers head and are secured to annular portions 10 shaped to engage on opposed sides of the wearers head about his ears, and a pair of straps for connection with said annular portions and to extend around the respective forward and under portions of the oxygen mask, means by which the straps are detachably and adjustably connected with the oxygen mask, means by which the length of said straps may be altered, and means by which the ends of said straps may be detachably connected to said annular portions at selective different locations to permit the most comfortable assembly of the mask to the wearers face.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,395,759 Monro Nov. 1, 1921 1,456,524 Waldron May 29, 1923 2,039,234 Malcolm Apr. 28, 1936 2,353,643 Bulbulian July 18, 1944 2,695,020 Glidden Nov. 23, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 521,282 Great Britain May 16, 1940 

